Trap for trapping and/or killing animals

ABSTRACT

A trap is described, for catching and possibly killing animals, especially small animals such as minks and the like. The trap comprises a relatively elongated cage 1 preferably formed with a bottom, side walls, and a roof made from bars. A first end wall 2 with a preferably circular first opening 4 intended to form an entrance for the animal, and a door 7 are provided, guided by guide elements 6 to take a first position with the trap activated. In the first position, opening 4 is open, and in a second position in which the trap is deactivated, the opening 4 is closed. The trap is also provided with an activation device 8, 9, and 10 provided to act upon door 7 to bring it from the first to second position with a first touching element 10 in the cage and a second end wall 3. According to the invention, the trap is primarily characterized in that it is provided with an optically readable indicator which is legible from a relatively large distance to indicate the activated or deactivated status of the trap.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a trap for catching and possiblykilling animals such as minks and the like, and also for larger animals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traps for catching animals live or dead are well known in the art. Forfur-trapping purposes, the prior-art jaw or "leg trap" is well known.Such traps comprise a pair of jaws tied together with a spring andtriggered by an animal stepping on the trap. Once the animal steps onthe trap, the jaws spring together, clamping on the animal's leg. Thetrap may be tied or chained to a fixed object so that the animal remainswith the trap until such a time as the person setting the trap returns.

Such traps, however, as crude, ineffective, inhumane, and not verydiscriminating. Animal rights groups have decried such traps as cruel,as the animal is left tied to the trap for an extended period of time,in great pain (usually due to broken leg or the like) and left to slowlybleed to death. While trapped in such a trap, an animal may thrashabout, damaging the fur pelt which the trapper desires. In addition,animals have been known to go so far as to chew off their own legs toescape such traps. Such traps are indiscriminate, trapping family pets(cats and dogs) as well as other undesired species (e.g., porcupines,skunks, and the like). Once killed by such a trap, an animal may beeaten by scavenger animals (e.g., wolves, vultures, or the like)damaging the valuable fur pelt.

Live animal traps, such as the well-known "Hav-A-Heart" trap are alsowell known in the art. Such trap generally comprise a cage-likestructure with one or more hinged or sliding doors provided at one orboth ends. Nastas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,210, issued Apr. 6, 1993,discloses one such trap. The animal is typically baited into the trap bya bait (e.g., food or the like). A trigger mechanism closes a doorbehind the animal once the animal is inside the cage, trapping theanimal. While such live animal traps are useful to catching animals live(e.g., for relocation or the like) they may be inappropriate for furtrapping or rodent pest trapping. In particular, a trapped mink or thelike may damage its valuable pelt while contained in such a cage trap.

Other traps have attempted to utilize enclosures to contain an animalwhile providing a killing or trapping mechanism within the enclosure.Combs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,373, issued Aug. 22, 1989, discloses a traphaving an enclosure with a plate 14 which may be rearranged to allowanimals of a selected size to enter. A capture plunger 18, whentriggered, closes off entrances to the trap. A lethal plunger 17 isprovided with sharpened points for apparently injuring the animal. Onedisadvantage of the Combs traps is that there does not appear to be anymechanism for positioning the animal such that a lethal blow isdelivered with accuracy. Moreover, the numerous points of lethal plunger17 may damage valuable pelts.

Thus, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a trap for catchingand possibly killing an animal humanely and accurately, while minimizingtrapping of non-target animals such as household pets and the like andminimizing damage to fur pelts.

In addition, in many animal traps used in fur trapping, it may bedifficult to determine whether the trap has been sprung without closelyinspecting the trap. Even from several feet away, a human may leave ascent in a trap area, discouraging target animals from approaching thetrap. Thus, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a trap whosetriggered status may be readily determined from a distance.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a relatively elongated cage, preferablyformed with a bottom, side walls and a roof made from bars, with a firstwall with a preferably circular first opening forming an entrance forthe animals. In the entrance, a door is provided, guided by guideelements into a first position when the trap is activated where theopening is open. When the trap is triggered (deactivated), the door isclosed, guided by the guide elements into a second position.

An activator is provided to act upon the door to move it from the first(open) position to the second (closed) position. The activator comprisesa first trigger element in the cage, and a second wall. The door ispreferably formed as a circular plate guided by guide elements fixed tothe first wall. The first (open) position of the door, with the cageactivated, is preferably above the second (closed) position, with thecage deactivated (triggered).

The trap is provided with an indicator, optically readable at arelatively large distance, for indicating the activated and deactivatedpositions of the trap door.

In a preferred embodiment of the trap, the indicator comprises at leastone first surface element, which takes a first visible position, visiblefrom a first direction when the door is in the first (open) position,and takes a second, not visible position, when the door is in the second(closed) position.

In an alternative embodiment of the trap, the indicator comprises atleast one second surface element, which takes a first visible position,visible from a second direction opposite to the first direction, whenthe door is in the first (open) position, and takes a second, notvisible position, when the door is in the second (closed) position.

In a further alternative embodiment, the trap comprises at least onethird surface element with such a form, that it can be optically easilydistinguished from the first and second surface elements, for making thedetermination of the position of the trap in the dark easier.

In suitable embodiments of the invention, at least one of the surfaceelements may be made reflecting and/or fluorescent.

In one advantageous embodiment, the trap is provided with an activatorcomprising of a first trigger element in the form of a treading plate,pivoting at the bottom of the cage, the treading plate being connected,via a thread, to a cotter pin keeping the door in its first position.The activating pressure at the treading plate being adjustable bysetting the angle between the legs of the cotter pin.

Often there is need for a killing device in the cage, suitably providedin the portion of the cage that is opposite to the opening.

In one advantageous embodiment, the killing device comprises a third,inner wall, in which there is provided a second opening, with adimension adapted to accept the head of the animal within a certainmargin. Further, a fixing clamp is provided to take a first activatedposition with an active portion at such a distance from the limit of theopening, that there is room for the head of the animal within the clamp.When triggered, the fixing clamp takes a second deactivated positionwith the active portion acting with a certain force, so that a head ofan animal can be fixed against the limit of the opening.

A hitting device is provided to take an activated first positionpretensioned against a power source such as a screw spring, and adeactivated second position within the level area of the second opening,so that the hitting device may hit the head of the animal, killing itafter it has been fixed by the fixing clamp. The fixing clamp and thehitting device being provided to be released at their first position, inwhich they have been held by a retaining device, by a second triggerelement located within the area for the second opening, and able to beacted upon with a relatively small movement by one portion of the headof the animal such as its lower jaw.

If the opening is formed with side edges that converge downwardly, itmay be insured that the head of the animal is placed in such a positionof the clamp that the hitting device with its preferably conical pointwill immediately kill.

It is suitable to arrange the hitting device pivoting around ahorizontal shaft, pretensionable against a screw spring, provided aroundthe horizontal shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention shall be described more in detail in the followingdetailed description, reference being made to the enclosed schematicalFigures.

FIG. 1 is a view towards an elongated wall of a trap according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a view towards the first wall of the trap.

FIG. 3 is a view towards the second wall of the trap.

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction IV--IV in FIG. 1 with the trapactivated.

FIG. 5 is a view in the same direction as in FIG. 4, but with the trapdeactivated.

FIG. 6 is a view of a second opening.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the killing device, with the trapactivated.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the killing device, with the trapdeactivated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 there is shown a relatively elongated cage 1, formed by bars.It is provided with first wall 2 and second wall 3, which areillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 2, infirst wall 2 there is a circular opening 4. A number of arched recesses5 are formed in wall 2 with opening 4 made larger.

Double walled guide 6 is attached to first wall 2, for verticallyguiding door 7 which is in the form of a circular plate. Recess 27 isformed in double walled guide 6 at its outside, so that the door may belifted from its second (closed) position to its first (open) position.An activator comprises cotter pin 8 (FIG. 1) placed in a correspondinghole in double walled guide 6 and through a hole in the door 7 in theactivated position of the trap, that is to say when the door 7 is heldin a first position.

The activator also comprises thread 9 connected to a first trigger inthe form of treading plate 10 pivoted at the floor of cage 1. Thus, theactivator functions in such a way, that when the animal enters cage 1and presses down treading plate 10 with its weight, cotter pin 8 isdrawn by thread 9 from its position, so that door 7 falls down bygravity and takes a second, deactivated (closed) position.

Alternately, treading plate 10 may be omitted, and thread 9 may befastened directly to the floor of cage 1. As door 7 is circular there isno risk that it shall bind to double walled guide 6. There is provided alock 11 (FIG. 1) for locking door 7 in its second (closed) position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, trap 1 may be provided with tworectangular surface elements 12 and 13, suitably white, which makefinding trap 1 in the dark easier. By providing such surface elements atboth sides of the upper portion of the guide 6, finding trap 1 is madeappreciably easier. At the side of double-walled guide 6, that is turnedto cage 1, two holes 14 and 15 are provided in the upper portion,circular in the embodiment shown, but of course other forms may beconsidered.

One side of door 7, turned to these holes may be made reflective, (e.g.,with red color 14A and fluorescent color 15A). In this embodiment, itmay be seen in daylight, from the fluorescent color 15A indication inholes 14 and 15, that the trap is activated, and by night by seeing thered reflective color 14A in holes 14 and 15 an indication showing thattrap 1 is activated.

Door 7 in this embodiment may be provided at one side with red color 14Band fluorescent color 15B. When door 7 falls down when trap 1 istriggered, fields 14B and 15B become visible through hole 4 in thedirection towards door 7.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a third wall 16, provided within cage 1in the vicinity of second wall 3. Third wall 16 forms part of a killingdevice, and a second opening 17 is provided in third wall 16, as isillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The killing device is illustrated in anactivated (set) position in FIGS. 1, 4 and 7, and in deactivated(triggered) position in FIGS. 5 and 8.

Second opening 17 is sized to accept the head of a caught animal. InFIG. 6, a preferred embodiment of this opening is illustrated, with sideedges, converging downwardly, such that the jaw of an animal fits and isfixed in the opening.

Fixing clamp 18 is provided, fixed to third wall 16, illustrated in anactivated (set) first position as in FIGS. 1, 4 and 7 and a deactivated(triggered) position as in FIGS. 5 and 8. In the activated position, ananimal can put its head through opening 17 and into fixing clamp 18 inits activated position. In the deactivated position, fixing clamp 18,aided by spring 26 attached to the bottom of cage 1 presses the head ofthe animal against the lower portion of the second opening 17.

A hitting device in the form of hit arm 19 with a preferably conicalpoint 20 pivots around a horizontal shaft 21, which is mounted inbearings in the second and third walls 3 and 16, respectively. Hit arm19 may be pretensioned to an activated position against screw spring 22.Fixing clamp 18 and hit arm 19 are kept in their activated positions bya retaining device, in the form of a plate tongue 24, inserted into oneof a number of oval holes 25 in third wall 16.

Plate tongue 24 is connected to activating arm 23, which in activatedposition covers second opening 17, being able to be acted upon by arelatively small force by a portion of the head of the animal such asits lower jaw. The function is thus, that the animal, by touchingactivating arm 23 firstly brings fixing clamp 18 to lock its headagainst the lower portion of the opening 17, whereupon hit arm 19 hitsthe head of the animal, killing it.

By suitably forming opening 17, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the head ofthe animal will be fixed in such a position that hit arm 19 with itsconical portion will hit in the middle of the head of the animal,whereby the killing will be efficient considering the form of thecranium of the animal, in many cases with a ridge in direct connectionto the brain. It is of course perfectly possible to form the killingdevice so that the hit arm will hit from another direction than thatshown in the Figures, that is to say optionally from above, from belowor from a side, but the embodiment shown has provided to be suitable andefficient. Spring 26 may also be arranged to give hit arm 19 a certainpredetermined starting speed.

It will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent invention fulfills all of the objects set forth above. Afterreading the foregoing specification, one of ordinary skill will be ableto effect various changes, substitutions of equivalents and variousother aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein. It istherefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only bythe definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

While the preferred embodiment and various alternative embodiments ofthe invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it maybe apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form anddetail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopethereof.

I claim:
 1. An animal trap comprising:an enclosure; a first openingprovided in an external wall of the enclosure, said first opening havinga predetermined size so as to admit an animal to be trapped; a doorprovided to close said first opening; a first trigger, coupled to thedoor, for allowing the door to close when an animal enters theenclosure; a second opening provided in a wall of the enclosure, thesecond opening having a predetermined size to as to admit a head of theanimal to be trapped; a gripping means, coupled to the second opening,for gripping the head of the animal when placed through the opening; anda hitting means, coupled to the gripping means, for hitting the animalon the head once the head of the animal is gripped by the grippingmeans.
 2. The animal trap of claim 1, wherein said second openingcomprises an opening having a tapering lower portion so as to cooperatewith the gripping means to grip the head of the animal in apredetermined orientation.
 3. The animal trap of claim 2, wherein saidsecond opening is formed on an internal wall of the enclosure.
 4. Theanimal trap of claim 3, further comprising a second trigger, coupled tothe gripping means and the hitting means, for actuating the grippingmeans and the hitting means when the head of the animal is placedthrough the second opening.
 5. The animal trap of claim 4 wherein thehitting means comprises a conical pointed element for engaging the headof the animal so as to force a portion of cranium into animal brain. 6.The animal trap of claim 1, wherein the door comprises:first and secondparallel surfaces arranged to form channels for slidably accepting thedoor so as to allow the door to slid over the first opening.
 7. Theanimal trap of claim 6, wherein the first and second parallel surfacesare arranged to form channels holding the door in a first position abovethe first opening so as to allow the door to slide downward, whentriggered, over the first opening.
 8. The animal trap of claim 7,wherein the first trigger comprises a pin placed through at least one ofthe first and second parallel surfaces to as to retain the door abovethe first opening.
 9. The animal trap of claim 8, wherein the firsttrigger further comprises a plate pivotally mounted to the enclosure,for engagement with the animal, the plate being coupled to the pin so asto slide the pin when the animal enters the enclosure so as to releasethe door.
 10. The animal trap of claim 9, wherein the door comprises acircular door slidably mounted between the first and second parallelsurfaces.
 11. The animal trap of claim 10, wherein at least one of thefirst and second parallel surfaces includes at least one open portion toallow viewing of the door when the door is placed above the firstopening.
 12. The animal trap of claim 11, wherein the door includes atleast a reflective portion for reflecting light through the at least oneopen portion when the door is placed above the first opening so as toindicate the untriggered status of the trap.
 13. The animal trap ofclaim 11, wherein the door includes at least a fluorescent coloredportion visible through the at least one open portion from a substantialdistance when the door is placed above the first opening so as toindicate the untriggered status of the trap.
 14. An animal trapcomprising:an enclosure; a first opening provided in an external wall ofthe enclosure, said first opening having a predetermined size so as toadmit an animal to be trapped; a door provided to close said firstopening, said door including first and second parallel surfaces arrangedto form channels for slidably accepting the door so as to allow the doorto slide over the first opening, wherein the first and second parallelsurfaces are arranged to form channels holding the door in a firstposition above the first opening so as to allow the door to slidedownward, when triggered, over the first opening; and a first trigger,coupled to the door, for allowing the door to close when an animalenters the enclosure, wherein at least one of the first and secondparallel surfaces includes at least one open portion to allow viewing ofthe door when the door is placed above the first opening, and whereinthe door includes at least a reflective portion for reflecting lightthrough the at least one open portion when the door is placed above thefirst opening so as to indicate the status of the trap.
 15. An animaltrap comprising:an enclosure; a first opening provided in an externalwall of the enclosure, said first opening having a predetermined size soas to admit an animal to be trapped; a door provided to close said firstopening, said door including first and second parallel surfaces arrangedto form channels for slidably accepting the door so as to allow the doorto slide over the first opening, wherein the first and second parallelsurfaces are arranged to form channels holding the door in a firstposition above the first opening so as to allow the door to slidedownward, when triggered, over the first opening; and a first trigger,coupled to the door, for allowing the door to close when an animalenters the enclosure, wherein at least one of the first and secondparallel surfaces includes at least one open portion to allow viewing ofthe door when the door is placed above the first opening, and whereinthe door includes at least a fluorescent colored portion visible throughthe at least one open portion from a substantial distance when the dooris placed above the first opening so as to indicate the status of thetrap.
 16. The animal trap comprising:an enclosure; a first openingprovided in an external wall of the enclosure, said first opening havinga predetermined size so as to admit an animal to be trapped; a doorprovided to close said first opening, said door including first andsecond parallel surfaces arranged to form channels for slidablyaccepting the door so as to allow the door to slide over the firstopening, wherein the first and second parallel surfaces are arranged toform channels holding the door in a first position above the firstopening so as to allow the door to slide downward, when triggered, overthe first opening; and a first trigger, coupled to the door, forallowing the door to close when an animal enters the enclosure, a secondopening provided in a wall of the enclosure, the second opening having apredetermined size to as to admit a head of the animal to be trapped; agripping means, coupled to the second opening, for gripping the head ofthe animal when placed through the opening; and a hitting means, coupledto the gripping means, for hitting the animal on the head once the headof the animal is gripped by the gripping means.
 17. The animal trap ofclaim 16, wherein said second opening comprises an opening having atapering lower portion so as to cooperate with the gripping means togrip the head of the animal in a predetermined orientation.
 18. Theanimal trap of claim 17, wherein said second opening is formed on aninternal wall of the enclosure.
 19. The animal trap of claim 18, furthercomprising a second trigger, coupled to the gripping means and thehitting means, for actuating the gripping means and the hitting meanswhen the head of the animal is placed through the second opening. 20.The animal trap of claim 19 wherein the hitting means comprises aconical pointed element for engaging the head of the animal so as toforce a portion of cranium into animal brain.